Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width, arms fully extended, and shoulders actively engaged (not shrugging into the ears).

2. 2

   From a dead hang with legs straight, initiate the movement by posteriorly tilting your pelvis, drawing the pubic bone toward the ribcage.

3. 3

   Bend the knees and drive them upward toward the chest, curling the pelvis up at the top rather than simply lifting the thighs.

4. 4

   Pause briefly at the top when you feel peak contraction in the abdominals, ensuring your lower back has rounded slightly.

5. 5

   Lower the legs in a controlled manner back to the starting dead-hang position, resisting the urge to swing.

6. 6

   Reset fully at the bottom—eliminate any momentum before beginning the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the body and using momentum to throw the knees up, which bypasses abdominal activation entirely.

• Only lifting the thighs to horizontal without curling the pelvis, which trains hip flexors instead of abdominals.

• Losing scapular engagement and hanging passively, which places excessive stress on the shoulder ligaments.

• Extending the legs forcefully on the descent, creating a pendulum swing that makes subsequent reps momentum-driven.

About This Exercise

Hanging knee raises are a bodyweight core exercise performed from a dead hang that trains the rectus abdominis through spinal flexion and posterior pelvic tilt under load. The hanging position decompresses the spine while requiring significant grip and shoulder stability. When performed with a deliberate pelvic curl at the top, this exercise preferentially recruits the lower fibers of the rectus abdominis beyond what floor-based crunches can achieve.